


Not With A Bang, But A Whimper

by KandiSheek



Series: POTS Stony Stockings 2020 [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Awakening, Canon-Typical Violence, End of the World, Established Relationship, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Prophecy, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Screw Destiny, Shapeshifting, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:39:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29271867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KandiSheek/pseuds/KandiSheek
Summary: Tony sat up slowly, looking at Steve –really looking– for the first time.“No,” Tony breathed and Steve's face twisted with pain before it smoothed out as Steve averted his eyes.“It's time, Tony.”
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: POTS Stony Stockings 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2159949
Comments: 16
Kudos: 67
Collections: POTS (18+) Stony Stocking 2020





	Not With A Bang, But A Whimper

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Firelightmystic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firelightmystic/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Firelightmystic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firelightmystic/pseuds/Firelightmystic) in the [stony_stocking_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stony_stocking_2020) collection. 



> Title inspired by "The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot.
> 
> So my dear Firelightmystic prompted “Tony and Steve are two powerful creatures who strike fear into the hearts of their enemies (almost as much as they do each other)”. I took that and... sort of ran with it, I guess? I really hope you enjoy this, Fire, because it's a little out there, but bear with me! Thanks to everyone for reading and enjoy the madness!

Tony didn't know what was different at first.

He'd woken up just like this a thousand times, sat up on his bed every morning and looked into the face of his husband, traded kisses and soft spoken words. But today...

Today he remembered.

Tony sat up slowly, looking at Steve – _really looking_ – for the first time. His skin was humming with tension and he could tell Steve felt it too, his eyes bottomless pits of sorrow.

“No,” Tony breathed and Steve's face twisted with pain before it smoothed out as Steve averted his eyes.

“It's time, Tony.”

“My name –“ Tony swallowed heavily, feeling sick to his stomach. “That's not my name, is it?”

Steve took a shaky breath, his head bowed as if he couldn't bear to look at Tony. “Levia–“

“Don't,” Tony cut him off and Steve looked at him with eyes far too old for his face.

“You know what we must do.”

Tony knew. He didn't want to know.

“It's always been you,” Tony said, suddenly overcome with memories of that same look in brown eyes, green, _blue_ – “We always found each other.”

Steve grimaced and Tony reached for him, laid a hand on his arm.

“Steve, we can –“

“No.” Steve's voice sounded horrible and when their eyes met Tony found no love in them. “This world ends today. And you and I with it.”

“Ste–“

“Call me by my name!” Steve roared and Tony leapt away on instinct, a split second before Steve's fist descended and shattered their bed. He turned and jumped out of the window, feeling no fear as the ground rushed up to meet him. His bones cracked when he landed, reforming the next instant as he slithered away, his claws dragging his giant body through the streets of New York.

Tony could hear Stark tower crumbling under Steve's weight behind him but he didn't turn to look, his eyes fixed on the ocean he could see in the distance. He just had to get there, he had to –

Tony hissed, writhing in pain as hooves landed on his tail, pinning him in place. He barely had time to twist his body out of the way before Steve charged him, his giant head smashing into the building right next to them. Tony could see people running around behind the glass, frantically screaming as windows shattered around them.

“Stop!” he shouted but Steve shook out his fur as he turned to him, looking ready to impale him on his horns –

Tony fled over the rooftops, ignoring Steve's enraged roar as he dragged his body closer to shore, almost there, almost –

He breathed a sigh of relief when he touched water, diving beneath the surface to reunite with his element –

And something in him snapped.

Tony could feel his snout elongate, his mouth filling with razor-sharp teeth. His lungs burned with the heat in his stomach that rose and fell with every breath he took through his gills.

Steve was close. He could feel his presence as clearly as he could his own and with a last breath of clean water he rose above the surface, claws digging into the stone underneath him.

Steve looked just as magnificent as he remembered, his gigantic body towering over New York, ruddy fur gleaming in the morning sun. _Behemoth_ , Tony thought, a name tinged in both awe and terror, someone Tony had once loved. Someone Tony had _despised_.

Steve tossed his heavy head and Tony saw his hoofs dancing gracefully along the edge of the water.

“You cannot run from me,” Steve said, his voice a deep grunt that echoed over the open waters. “I'm destined to find you, always. At the end of all things.”

Tony felt his heart sink with grief even though he hadn't lost anything yet. “This doesn't have to be the end.”

“You know His word as well as I do,” Steve shouted across the water and Tony closed his eyes for all but a moment –

Steve was on him too fast to back away, his horns meeting Tony's jaw with the sound of rock breaking.

When they clashed the earth shook.

Tony dug his claws into Steve's fur, twisting his body away from his horns as he clambered up his side, teeth sinking into flesh. Steve roared, trying to shake him off as he stampeded through the bay and Tony realized with a start that Steve was trying to throw him against the shore –

He barely managed to duck away in time, wincing at the sound that Steve's head made smashing against stone, sending tremors through the very structure of the earth. Tony used his moment of distraction to wrap his body around one of Steve's legs, digging his claws in to topple him –

But Steve caught his balance quickly, shaking his massive body to dislodge him. Tony landed in the water with a splash that caused a giant wave, watching in horror as the water cascaded on New York –

“No!” Steve shouted and Tony barely had time to blink before Steve was there, shielding the city with his body. He grunted as the water hit him, shoving him back a good few paces, but he stood strong, bearing the force of the tsunami.

There was a moment's pause in which they both caught their breaths, staring at each other across the ocean. Tony looked away first as he stood to his full height, towering over Steve by a good margin as his slender body curled into the air.

“You know that this is wrong,” he said and Steve gave him a baleful look. “If you were really so intent on destroying the world you would not care for these people. This city.”

Steve lowered his head, letting out a grunting breath that sounded almost painful. “Levia–“

“That's not the name you call me,” Tony snapped and Steve closed his eyes, his great brow furrowing in agony.

“This is what we must do!” he bellowed but Tony stood firm, his long tail swishing in the air behind him. “We have no choice. It's –“

“Steve,” Tony said and Steve shook his giant head, tossing his horns. “Steve!”

“We cannot,” Steve said and now he sounded pleading, his black eyes fixing on Tony's. The sadness in them almost stole Tony's breath away. “It's _destiny_. Who are we to defy His word?”

“I love you,” Tony croaked and Steve made a choked noise, averting his eyes. “Is that not reason enough? I cannot kill you any more than I can watch this world die. And I know you can't either.”

He took a step forward and Steve stumbled back, his eyes wide and terrified.

“To– Leviathan,” he gasped warningly but Tony wasn't deterred, walking closer until they were face to face, slitted eye to beady black.

“Call me by my name,” Tony said and Steve sobbed once before his back bowed and he shed his fur, curling into himself. Tony followed him down until Steve's hooves turned into grasping hands that pulled him close and cradled him so they were all but intertwined, floating naked in the ocean water.

The sea wouldn't let them drown. Tony _was_ the sea.

“I'm sorry,” Steve sobbed and Tony shushed him, pulling him close with gentle touch and gentler words.

“We'll be alright, Steve. Everything will be alright. You'll see.”

Steve kept crying until Tony heard sirens in the distance, helicopters circling overhead. He didn't pay them any mind, too focused on his shaking husband in his arms as they weathered the storm together. Tony didn't resist when Steve pulled him into a fierce kiss, not even when he drew blood in his haste, their mouths sliding together the way they had ever since Tony could remember.

“He'll find us,” Steve gasped against Tony's lips and the pain in his voice echoed in Tony's heart. “He always does. We can't run from him.”

Tony grabbed Steve's head, pulling him close until their foreheads rested together. “We'll never know if we don't try.”

Steve's hands were heavy on his shoulders but his grip was gentle when he reached up to touch Tony's face. “I won't let him have you,” he promised hoarsely and Tony knew it would be madness to believe him, but – _but_ –

“That's all we need then,” he said, lips tugging up into a small smile. “Cause I won't let him have you either.”

Steve's eyes burned into his with centuries of love and Tony felt his heart leap into his throat when Steve brushed his hair behind his ear. If anything was worth fighting destiny itself, then Tony had already found it.

“Together then?” he asked and the brilliance of Steve's smile competed with the rising sun.

“Together.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you're confused as to what I was going for, here are a few fun facts:
> 
> Tony is Leviathan and Steve is Behemoth. They are both giant creatures created by god (along with the bird Ziz but we'll ignore him for simplicity's sake). Leviathan is the destructive force of the ocean and Behemoth that of solid land. Leviathan is described as having the features of a crocodile, dragon, snake and a whale whereas Behemoth looks like a mixture of a buffalo, hippo, elephant and goat. There are different interpretations of their roles in the grand scheme of things but one of them is that when humanity's time has come the world will be destroyed by Leviathan and Behemoth fighting each other to the death (which is what I was touching on in this fic). Neither will win because god himself will slay them both and use their flesh to feed the right-doing forces of the new world order.
> 
> Anyway, that's my take on it. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.


End file.
